In some models, the power supply cables leading to the side marker lamps are missing. The lamps can’t illuminate, and this means the vehicles fail to comply with federal motor vehicle safety standard No. 108 regarding lamps and reflective devices.

Summary:
BMW IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2010 X5 M SAV VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, “LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT,” THESE VEHICLE’S WERE EQUIPPED WITH SIDE MARKER LAMPS, BUT NOT THE POWER SUPPLY CABLES LEADING TO THE LAMPS. AS A RESULT, THE SIDE MARKER LAMPS DO NOT ILLUMINATE.

Consequence:
THESE VEHICLES DO NOT COMPLY WITH REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 108.
Remedy:
BMW HAS NOT YET PROVIDED A REMEDY OR AN OWNER NOTIFICATION SCHEDULE FOR THIS CAMPAIGN. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BMW AT 800-525-7417.

Affected model(s):
2010 BMW X5 M SAVs produced between 7/1/09 and 1/25/10.
To clarify this issue, we reached out to BMW for an official response and further clarifications:

Number of vehicles : Approximately 735.

What is the problem?

The affected vehicles were not equipped with the power supply cables for the front side marker lamps (lamps are located in the outer corner of the headlight cluster).

What can happen?
The front side marker lamps will not illuminate.

Does this affect the ability to signal for turns?
No. Turn signal and hazard light operation are not affected.

Can customers continue to drive their vehicles?
Yes, but BMW recommends that owners of affected vehicles, who will receive a letter asking them to schedule an appointment with their Authorized BMW SAV center, do so as soon as they receive the notification letter.

How will customers be informed of the recall?
Owners of affected vehicles will receive a letter via First Class mail asking them to make a Service appointment with their Authorized BMW SAV center. The letters should go out in May 2010, or once the parts have been distributed to dealers. The repair may take up to four hours. Additional time may be required depending on the center’s scheduling and processing. The repair is free of charge.

ABSOLUTELY PATHETIC – SO BUSY CUTTING COSTS AND FIRING PEOPLE THAT THERE IS NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE TO MAKE SURE THAT THINGS ARE CONNECTED PROPERLY! NO EXCUSE!….. HOW DO I KNOW THAT ALL THE STABILITY CONTROL CABLES ARE CONNECTED THEN?

THIS IS SO TYPICAL, COMPANIES THAT EMBARK ON COST CUTTING STRATEGIES WITH MATERIALS AND LABOUR EVENTUALLY END UP WITH QUALITY ISSUES, RECALLS, AND LOTS MORE THAT CAUSE THE COMPANY TO FALL! I HOPE THIS IS NOT THE SITUATION UNDER THIS NEW ENGINEERING CEO REITH..

How could you know that stability control is connected? Well, maybe by noticing that it works properly?

Better don’t exaggerate. You are outlining catastrophic vision of BMW’s future, bacause of lack of cables for marker lamps? Such things happen from time to time to each car-maker and fortunately they happen really rare to BMW. Of course BMW made a fault here and they have to repair it, but it shouldn’t make us starting to distrust of every sub-assembly in car. There were more sirious problems for BMW in past: the defective software for DCT in M3 e92, problems with fix of rear axle to chassis in 3-er e46. But despite these things, cutting costs in BMW didn’t take a shape of making rough cars, about which only more and more problems have been revealed. Contrary, BMW are reliable cars that offer decent performance and keep their quality.

In era of production line the only explanation of such kind of mistakes is that people responsible for installing this particular part didn’t do their job well. It’s now easy to find inattentive workers and to take appropriate measures against them. Human mistakes, they happen.

Problems about cable is nothing…
We bougth a BMW x5 on november 2009 in Brasil. brand new.
What a mountain of money. Only for the pleasure to drive another BMW.We had it only for weekends to drive to our country home.
One sunday afternoon in last March returning from one of those trips, comming back home, and turning to enter to our gate building, my husband who was driving, as always did, turn the rigth, and slowly with her feet on the brake and the front of the car on the side walk, wait to the gate to be opened by the porter.Always he did this for 35 yyears every day.Wait for people to cross by the side walk, because we have liltle children playing on the patio garden entrance.
On that day he did the same.But on a fraction of second the engine dispair, with a noise and like an airplane we crossed the iron gate who is 6 mts large, and on the same position the direction of the car was , it jumped to the front building wall.
My mother in law, who is 90, was sitted and belted in passenger front.
My husband on direction, and me, sitted on the back , just had open my sit belt to take my handbag ,and my jacket.
We cross the iron gate,and the car crashed the building wall at the rigth side ,as the direction was at the same position when he turned to enter the gate.
Amazing that he had his feet on the brake so profundly,that when he saw all alive, he continued with his foot there.All the hair bags where opened.
But unfortunatly,my mother in law and me were severe injuried, and we went to hospital.
Amazing is that the car was “cheecked “( as they said later by BMW tecnician , and didnt find a defect.But the car computer dont have memory for the back moment of the crash.
The front of the car doesnt exist enymore.I am so scared ,to have that vision of the wall comming to me like in a motion film, and who is gilt???
We have tryed to report this to BMW directory in sao paulo, but even a word or an attention they gave to us.Only a lady who works on the services assistence for clients , had sent to us a message that they didnt find any problem on that car.
So , we have nothing more to do since to ask people ,if they heard a case like that, or if an eletronic porter to open the gate could made this order to dispare an engine.
where are people who really understand about BMW x5 complexion and tecnical to anser us ,if the resposable of those cars even answer our claim.
We need to advise people about this problem that is worst than the cable .

Dear Fred and Viking King
Answering your question, I would like to introduce you one simple question.
First we are very sure that he was pressing brakes, since he was waiting the gate to be opened, on mode drive.Impossible to break and accelerate at same moment.Do you agree ?
Second have you heard about Unninted Sudden Aceleration? Do you know something about SAS- Sudden Acceleration Syndrome.?
Have you heard about Toyota recall? And Why?Many cases on Camry, BMw x series, and Audi ???
I came to this blog , since I belived to have help from you.I dont need to tell you false stories about serius accidents.And dont need to hear absurds that brakes are made to break.This was on the past my dear Viking King , on the past times , when you had your proper commands on a vehycle.With the new eletronic transmission, you dont break, but you send a signal for the eletronic equippment to do it .Did you feel the manual break on the new BMW X5 suv-a big , robbust car, if you dont feel your break on foot , please try to push the small botton on front of your console.Thsi is bull,,,If you need it on the midlle of a problem…try to do it please.It is good to park the car.
Try to help, go now to those cases, find Sudden Acceleration Syndrome, SAS on internet, and try to save lifes.This exist, is real, and can happens to you also.I pray not. For me , I had only my two legs injuried, since i need more 2 cirurgies, and , since I had to excuse me for the delay of my answer, since this stuppid accident, I had my back on cervical damage at the point that I cant work and writte.This is it.I am a grand mother, and a lawyer, my husband is an excelent driver with graduation as former engineer on automonbilistic, and for my disgusting on eletronics.That is life boys.Dont forget, life is too short, and everibody needs help one day.

If his foot were on the brakes the car shouldn’t have moved then. If it possible that his foot slipped somehow? Cause i know that on my E46, when the brake pedal is pressed down, it is in line with the gas pedal. And if his foot was on the break, the car shouldn’t have lurched forward either as cars nowadays have brakes much more powerful than the power their engine can produce,

The car shouldnt have moved, but it was . And the power came as Like you are driving and move the car on sport drive.This was what happened.Foot on break,and subbtle the noise, and the power. No conditions to have slipped the foot, since he was imobile, waiting the gate to be opened,and the gate was just opened less than a meter, and it has to be opened 4 meters..About the powerful of brakes, on this situation eletronical transmission doesnt work for you.This means a pane on the transmittion as could happened like on air bus with a pitot.
On that accident of Air France,, just an small component that reads temperature, outside sent a wrong message to the eletronical transmission of the airplane computer.On BMW case we blame the driver, but on air bus case, it was clear that the pilot wasnt wrong.Air France didnt change the pilots,they change the pitot. outside the airplane.
Why blame always the driver.The circunstances are the eletronical transmission.And as Toyota, also BmW as their problems on SAS.

I’m sure that the X5 has the traditional hydraulic brakes..in this case, the transmission would have nothing to do with it. So if your foot is on the brake and you jam on the gas pedal, the car will NOT move, and they have built in rev-limiters when the brake is depressed. I’m not saying that your husband didn’t press the brake pedal, etc., it’s just that in theory, it would not have happened if it was.
Regarding the problems on the Toyota, it was because of a faulty gas pedal design which resulted it in getting stuck, and when your car is already at high speeds and constantly accelerating, people tend to panic, pulsing the brakes (over heating them) or repeatedly tapping the start/stop button.